Chapter 748: The Dignity of a Great Minister

The Imperial City, Renshou Palace in the Forbidden City.
Although Empress Dowager Zhang had refused the ministers’ request to act as regent after Zhu Zhanji ascended the throne, since the emperor began to rule personally a year ago, all military and state affairs were reported to her. When difficulties arose, she often sent eunuchs to offer guidance. That day, in addition to the emperor, three more ministers were present—Jian Yi, Xia Yuanji, Yang Shiqi, and Huang Huai. Among the four, two were top ministers of various departments, and the other two were key figures in the Grand Secretariat. All of them had furrowed brows, just like the emperor and the empress. Seeing that they remained silent for a long time, Zhu Zhanji simply stood up.
“What do you four think about the unrest in Guangdong and Guangxi?”
Among them, Jian Yi had the highest rank, while Yang Shiqi enjoyed the emperor’s highest favor. Therefore, upon hearing the emperor’s question, they did not speak rashly. They exchanged glances, after which Jian Yi bowed slightly and said, “The unrest in Datanxiang has a long history, but the Li people in Qiongzhou Prefecture have not experienced any turmoil for many years. We must proceed with caution. The Marquis of Zhenyuan killed over a thousand people in his campaign against the barbarians, which truly undermines the court’s benevolence. As for the situation in Guangdong, although the Marquis of Zhenyuan went there with a small entourage, it was still somewhat reckless.”
“His dedication to state affairs is praiseworthy!” Huang Huai interjected rigidly before adding seriously, “Since the Marquis of Zhenyuan is a general tasked with suppressing the barbarians, it is his duty. It’s not wrong for him to go to Guangzhou. What’s important is whether there were any prior signs, and whether the Guangdong administrative office concealed them! Since the Marquis of Zhenyuan reported that the officials in Guangzhou Prefecture were attacked by Li assassins during the Dragon Boat Festival…”
“Let’s not talk about this!”
Zhu Zhanji abruptly cut off Huang Huai—after all, although Qin Huaijin had been in charge of the Maritime Administration since the Yongle era, he was not under Zhu Zhanji’s control. Zhu Zhanji had even considered replacing him, but after all, he was part of the palace staff. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized Empress Dowager Zhang was nearby, so he softened his tone and said, “This is one matter, and that is another. Let’s not mix them up!”
Seeing that no one spoke anymore, he turned to Empress Dowager Zhang and asked, “What do you think, Mother?”

“Military achievements are always considered highest for pacifying the north and lowest for subduing the barbarians. Guangdong has always been peaceful; even if there are uprisings among the barbarians, they won’t cause major trouble.” Empress Dowager Zhang glanced at everyone slowly and said, “Zhang Yue was appointed by Emperor Taizong as a young talent with remarkable achievements both in court and in the field. If there were truly uprisings in Guangdong, he wouldn’t hide it. Moreover, Zhang Qian is a veteran official with many years of experience and wouldn’t casually agree to his reports. As for Marquis Zhenyuan, he has been guarding Guizhou for years and isn’t new to suppressing uprisings in Guangxi, so he surely wouldn’t make things up. Since it’s hard to decide, let’s not rush to issue orders or blame anyone. Wait for reports from there. We can assign a capable censor from the Censorate and have the Jinyiwei prepare to set off for Guangdong at any time.”
“Your Majesty is wise.”
Including Zhu Zhanji, no one could find any fault with Empress Dowager Zhang’s prudent approach, so they all obeyed her orders. After the four cabinet ministers left Renshou Palace together, Jian Yi naturally walked with Xia Yuanji. Yang Shiqi walked with Huang Huai for a while. Seeing that Huang Huai kept coughing, Yang Shiqi personally supported his arm and advised him not to overexert himself. Yet Huang Huai only shook his head, citing his status as a junior member of the cabinet and asking Yang Shiqi to return to the cabinet first while he walked slowly on his own. As Yang Shiqi hesitated, he saw several eunuchs approaching and waved one over to help support Huang Huai, then hurried away.
Although helped, Huang Huai staggered along at a very slow pace. He had once ranked fifth in the second tier of the imperial examinations and was among the first to enter the cabinet, in charge of drafting imperial edicts, but he was always ranked below Jie Jin. After Jie Jin was demoted, Hu Guang won the emperor’s favor, leaving Huang Huai in second place. Later, he spent nearly ten years in prison. During those ten years, it seemed as if everyone in the world had forgotten about this once loyal minister of the emperor. Even his son found it difficult to visit him in prison. But when he was suddenly released, Huang’s household was once again bustling with activity—such was the fickleness of the world. Yet the emperor he had served loyally for ten years in prison had already passed away. Now, though he was nominally the second-in-command of the cabinet, he no longer enjoyed the trust he had during the Hongxi era.
Upon arriving at the courtyard where the cabinet’s office was located, he shook off the young eunuch and walked straight through the main gate. Since only cabinet ministers and specially appointed eunuchs were allowed inside the innermost area, there wasn’t a single outsider there. With his hands in his sleeves, he passed through the second gate and heard Yang Rong’s loud voice coming from inside.

“As expected of the Empress Dowager—her heart is as clear as a mirror; she just never says it outright. Guangxi has long been in chaos, but what chaos could there be in Guangdong? The Li people are almost all concentrated in Qiongzhou Prefecture, an isolated island with no supplies—they’re just waiting to die! Besides, those local Li officials are all greedy and skilled at exploiting the common people. To think of them ruling Guangdong… that’s overestimating them greatly!”
Huang Huai frowned as he heard Yang Shiji reply calmly, “That may be true, but since the Marquis of Zhenyuan has brought such evidence, we can’t ignore it. We must show fairness… By the way, Youziding returned home due to mourning duties, and Yishan has caught a cold these past few days and is resting at home. It seems Zongyu’s old cough has flared up again. The cabinet affairs will require more of your, my, and Hongji’s efforts.”
“Of course. Speaking of which, Brother Zongyu is being a bit too stubborn. I noticed the color of the phlegm he coughed up those days—it’s not right. He needs to seek treatment promptly. He should also learn from Brother Yishan’s ways of taking care of his health; only then can he handle heavy responsibilities. Brother Shiji, in my opinion, we should petition the emperor to send a competent imperial physician to examine him. Coughing like this nonstop isn’t a solution either…”
As he listened, Huang Huai’s anger flared up suddenly. He strode forward, pulled back the curtain, and entered the main room, saying coldly, “There’s no need for you to worry about me. I’m in good health and can still handle both internal and external affairs!”
Yang Rong, wearing the imperial jade belt around his waist, wasn’t expecting Huang Huai to burst in mid-conversation. His brows immediately furrowed, but seeing the other man’s pale face, he swallowed back his sarcasm and simply said, “If that’s the case, then I’ve been overstepping my bounds. Since the beginning of the year, the north has been in constant conflict, Xinghe and Kaiping have been frequently disturbed, and various provinces have seen outbreaks of strange phenomena. Add to that floods and droughts—reports from all over are piling up in the General Administration Office. Brother Zongyu, please take good care of yourself. We still have a lot to deal with during the coldest months of winter.”
Glancing coldly at Yang Rong, who was bent over his desk writing without looking up, Huang Huai sneered, “I appreciate your kindness, Mianren. Just to ensure there are other voices in the court, I must take good care of myself. This is still the realm of the Zhu Ming dynasty—we can’t just let others say whatever they want…”
“Zongyu!”

Yang Shiqi heard Huang Huai speaking more and more absurdly, so he could only shout at him. Seeing Huang Huai fall silent and slowly walk over to the desk to sit down, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Having worked together for many years and once serving in the Eastern Palace, he naturally understood that Huang Huai’s temperament was similar to Yang Rong’s—both narrow-minded and unable to tolerate others. Moreover, having spent ten years in prison, Huang Huai harbored resentment deep in his heart, especially toward Yang Rong and Jin Youzi, who had risen to prominence without facing any hardships, often criticizing them.

Among the people in the cabinet now, he and Du Zhen had the best relationship, with similar temperaments; Yang Rong and Jin Youzi worked well together, and as long as Jin Youzi intervened to restore them to their positions, the two would unite again; Yang Pu was cautious and respectful, always considering himself the least important in the cabinet and never competing with others. As a result, Huang Huai became an outcast, almost always opposing others on every issue.

“Too much is as bad as too little!”
Muttering to himself, Yang Shiqi shook his head but didn’t know what to say. He went back to his desk and picked up Zhang Yue’s memorial again. Though he knew it was news from half a month ago, reading it still made him uneasy. Du Zhen appeared cold but had a kind heart; he had been just as reckless in Shandong, and his only student was equally bold!

Since Du Zhen had taken leave to recover at home, many officials came to visit him daily. Although he now held a high position, the Du family still handled things as before, politely declining visits on the grounds that the master was too ill to see anyone, and refusing any gifts. The older officials in the bureaucracy were used to this custom from the Du family and simply dismissed it as a necessary formality. However, the newer officials in the capital were dissatisfied, their faces tense as they were sent away.

In the evening, three more officials from the Hanlin Academy were politely turned away. As they walked away, whispering among themselves, they saw a rider speeding toward them. When the rider reached the door, the horse hadn’t even stopped yet, and the rider leaped off with remarkable agility. Meeting the three Hanlin officials, he smiled, bowed, and quickly climbed the steps.

“The second son-in-law has arrived!”
The gatekeeper called out cheerfully, and someone rushed down to take care of the horse. Only then did the three Hanlin officials realize the visitor was another son-in-law of the Du family. They exchanged glances, and the youngest Hanlin couldn’t help but mutter, “It seems everyone in the Du family has this kind of temperament. It’s one thing not to use a carriage or attendants when going out, but to ride at full speed through the streets—nothing different from those rude military officers!”

Wanshi Jie naturally had no idea that his actions would be considered rude by those three court officials outside—even if he had known, he wouldn’t have taken it to heart. Eagerly, he entered Du Zhen’s bedroom, casually removed his sky-blue cloak and threw it on a chair nearby, then headed straight to the inner room. Pulling back the curtain, he said with a smile, “Father-in-law, good news! Alutai and Tuohuan in the north have started fighting again! With their conflict, the smaller tribes around them are taking advantage of the chaos. At last, Kaiping in the north can enjoy some peace!”

“Be quieter! You come in making such a fuss. Can’t you see Dad is recovering?” Xiao Wu turned and glared at Wanshi Jie fiercely, then helped Du Zhen take his medicine before standing up and saying, “Who cares about what’s happening in the north now? We just want to know how things are with my brother-in-law. Right, Dad?”

Accustomed to the way these two interacted, Du Zhen naturally wore a faint smile. Hearing the last sentence, he smiled even more: “Wanshi Jie, stop keeping us in suspense. From your excited look, I can tell there’s good news. Is it something good from Guangdong?”

“Of course!”

Wanshi Jie sat down on the brocade cushion where Xiao Wu had just sat and said excitedly, “Just this evening, a fast messenger brought reports from Guangdong along with a plant of auspicious grain. At first, they thought it was a sign of good fortune, but later news came that Yuan Jie plans to implement a new system in Panyu and Nanhai counties of Guangzhou Prefecture, allowing three harvests a year, with the other counties trying two harvests a year! It’s said that the cabinet and ministers have been summoned to the palace, and there’s a lot of discussion outside—some say Yuan Jie is talking nonsense, some say it’s a wild idea, and others are skeptical. But I know that man; he wouldn’t bring up such a thing unless he was sure!”

“You’re right. He’s not the kind to make big claims to win favor just to solve past problems!”

Seeing Du Zhen sit up straight as he spoke, Xiao Wu hurriedly knelt on one knee by the bed and wrapped him tightly in the quilt before complaining, “Dad, be careful too. Catching a cold in this cold weather isn’t easy to recover from. People come and go in the cabinet—those appointed a few months ago were dismissed soon after, and it’s still you guys who have to bear the burden. The other day when I went to the pharmacy to get medicine, I even saw people from the Huang family. I glanced at the prescription—it seemed to be for treating lung diseases. If a cold isn’t properly treated, it can turn into…”

“Wait, what did you say?” Du Zhen interrupted Xiao Wu abruptly and asked sternly, “What disease does Huang Zongyu have?”

“It has damaged the lung qi; it must be a lung disease.” Xiao Wu noticed a sudden change in Du Zhen’s expression and found it strange. When she turned to look at Wan Shijie, she saw him frowning deeply as well, leaving her even more puzzled. “Has Father come up with something?”
“If it’s indeed a lung disease, then it’s easier to deal with… I remember he often coughed when he was in the cabinet, covering his phlegm with a handkerchief so no one would see it. But if it were just a lung disease, why would he hide it so much? Wouldn’t it be better to take a month or two off to recover? Xiao Wu, if this lung disease has been around for a long time, could it turn into consumption?”
“Consumption?”
Xiao Wu’s eyes widened instantly. After thinking for a while, she hesitantly agreed that it was possible. Hearing this, the father-in-law and son exchanged a glance. Wan Shijie saw Du Zhen looking troubled. Though he seemed carefree, he was actually very perceptive. Seeing his father-in-law sigh deeply, he quickly sat down beside him.
“Huang Zongyu has a competitive nature. It’s said that he was one of the reasons why the scholar in charge was dismissed back then. Over the past two years, he’s always tried to outdo others in the cabinet, often clashing with Yang Mianren, and doesn’t get along well with us colleagues either, constantly trying to undermine them. If his illness can be cured soon, that’s fine, but if not, he might have to submit a request to retire. After all, other illnesses are one thing, but consumption is contagious, which makes it an excellent excuse to force him to retire… Besides, setting aside his character, Huang Zongyu is sensible and decisive. Sometimes, we really need someone who speaks out against the mainstream.”
“Father-in-law…”
“Let’s not talk about this.” Du Zhen shook his head and then turned to Wan Shijie, saying, “I’m not worried about the situation in Guangdong and Guangxi. Yuanjie grew up under my watchful eye; he would never cover up the truth. I trust him. Shijie, some time ago, the Princess of Chenliu visited your mother-in-law and mentioned the establishment of an inner study in the palace and the frequent deployment of eunuchs to various regions. What’s your opinion on this?”
Wan Shijie wasn’t expecting Du Zhen to ask this question. After hesitating for a while, he replied, “Father-in-law, please forgive my bluntness. Although there have been outstanding eunuchs like Zheng Wang, Jinghong, and Zhang Qian since the Yongle era, those exceptional eunuchs are merely icing on the cake. One harmful one can cause chaos throughout the country. They are too close to the emperor!”